Our Mission

EntrePartner Law Firm, PLLC is a boutique firm by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs. We partner with companies, from big to small, and from formation to sale — and every stage in between. We offer “big firm” caliber counsel with a practical twist, and where we really excel is helping you translate legal advice into smart business decisions. We believe that law firms should follow the same business practices that you do, so we focus on developing long term strategic alliances rather than maximizing legal fees.

Create

Lawyers who help you Create new businesses, new partnerships, new agreements, new franchises, and infuse awesome ideas with new energy.

Grow

Lawyers to craft strategies and assemble structures to help you Grow your established business into something magnificent.

Protect

Lawyers to Protect your company, your assets, your brand, and your livelihood.

Business Attorneys

Serving Minneapolis, St. Paul & Beyond

We partner with entrepreneurs and businesses throughout the country.

Are you looking for more than just an attorney?
We’re not only lawyers. We’re entrepreneurs too.

When entrepreneurs start a law firm, they do things a little differently than the traditional law firm. Our model lets us focus on what really matters: You and your business. For reasonable and predictable fees, EntrePartner offers legal services with a singular focus in mind: How do we add value to your enterprise? If we aren’t adding value, we’re doing it wrong. Whether you’re an entrepreneur, startup, franchise, small businesses, or large enterprise, we’ll help you reach your business goals.

Boost your business with sophisticated counsel.

Meet the Team

Big firm experience. Small business gumption.

Meredith Bauer
Meredith Bauer
Meredith Bauer
Mike Mergens
Mike_Mergens
Mike Mergens
Ken Hall
John Cantril

Partner with Experienced Business Attorneys

to Power Toward Your Business Goals

Business attorneys

EntrePartner’s clients continue to partner with us over time because we think of them as more than just “billable hours.” Each and every member of the team is committed to discovering efficient but effective solutions, and implementing them in predictable, transparent ways. Our ever-present goal is to wrench the cost curve downward, bend the value curve upward, and eliminate the “pain curve” altogether.

 

Our menu of Practice Areas is crafted to address the wide variety of challenges a typical entrepreneur faces. Most of the time we are equipped to handle any issue your business encounters. But even when we aren’t the right fit for your most pressing issue, chances are we know excellent lawyers nearby who would be a good fit. Same goes for our connections to local professionals in financial, accounting, and other service industries. There’s no ego here; we only succeed if your business gets the right help from the right person at the right time.

 

We’re also reinventing law firm billing practices by offering innovative pricing models in many situations: flat fee engagements, subscription models, pre-packaged offerings, and the like. By increasing transparency around law firm billing, we eliminate the mystery and create a more relaxed, collaborative lawyer-client relationship. If that sort of thing appeals to you (and we hope it does), we encourage you to mention it to us.

Recent Updates

Our hub for client-focused learning and celebrating client success stories.

DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ISSUES IMPORTANT GUIDANCE ON FAMILIES FIRST CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE ACT (FFCRA)
DEPARTMENT OF LABOR ISSUES IMPORTANT GUIDANCE ON FAMILIES FIRST CORONAVIRUS RESPONSE ACT (FFCRA)

With the effective date of the Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) looming, the Department of Labor (DOL) on Saturday, March 28, 2020, issued critical new guidance for employers struggling with how to implement the new requirements.  The guidance, “Families First Coronavirus Response Act: Questions and Answers,” can be found here, and includes details on counting hours for part-time workers, how to account for overtime, rates of pay, and the interaction between sick leave and expanded family and medical leave for those caring for their child whose school or place of care is closed.

MAKING SENSE OF THE VARIOUS STATE AND FEDERAL COVID-19 RELIEF PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO SMALL BUSINESSES
MAKING SENSE OF THE VARIOUS STATE AND FEDERAL COVID-19 RELIEF PROGRAMS AVAILABLE TO SMALL BUSINESSES

Both state and federal governments have taken swift action to enact quick and innovative programs to aid small businesses struggling with the fallout of the COVID-19 crisis.  Understanding the options now available to small businesses — as well as how the various new programs interact with one another and existing programs — can become a nearly full-time job for business owners strapped for time as they juggle a myriad of responsibilities.

WHAT DOES THE CARES ACT MEAN FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS?
WHAT DOES THE CARES ACT MEAN FOR YOUR SMALL BUSINESS?

As entrepreneurs ourselves, we understand the critical value of your time right now and that you want to understand the sections of the “CARES Act” you care about most. For most of you that section is the “Paycheck Protection Program.” *  The program is generally limited to small businesses, those with 500 or fewer employees (or, if higher, the standard number employees established by the SBA for certain industries) as well as sole proprietors and eligible self-employed individuals.

FRANCHISE REGISTRATION RENEWAL SEASON IS HERE!
FRANCHISE REGISTRATION RENEWAL SEASON IS HERE!

While many people are hunkering down for the winter or gearing up to go on spring break, at EntrePartner we are gearing up for one thing:  Franchise registration renewal season!  Most franchisors are required to update their Franchise Disclosure Documents (FDD) and complete renewal registrations in specific states in March/April of each year (with exact dates depending on specific circumstances as outlined below). This article is designed to provide you the tools to help you make the most of renewal season.

FRIENDLY YEAR-END REMINDER
FRIENDLY YEAR-END REMINDER

At EntrePartner, we’re busy helping our clients prepare for year-end and set themselves up for a successful 2020!  This serves as a friendly reminder with respect to one easy part of this process.  All Minnesota entities must file an annual renewal once every calendar year with the Minnesota Secretary of State, beginning in the calendar year following the initial filing.  If you do not submit the annual report, your entity will be “statutorily dissolved” (no longer recognized as existing in Minnesota), and you’ll need to pay a fee to get it reinstated.  Filing the annual report is easy (less than 10 minutes) and free as long as you file on time.

ENTREPARTNER STREAMLINES BUSINESS FORMATIONS WITH ITS NEW ENTRE2GO SERVICE
ENTREPARTNER STREAMLINES BUSINESS FORMATIONS WITH ITS NEW ENTRE2GO SERVICE

Starting a business can be overwhelming. It requires you to wear many hats all at the same time and juggle responsibilities that in a larger established company would be delegated to a dozen department heads.  Sometimes lost in the shuffle are the key legal decisions that come with starting a business. These decisions can be confusing, but they ultimately can be some of the most important decisions you will make.

Schedule a Consultation

EntrePartner engagements typically begin with a brief fact-finding phone call, followed by a 30- to 60-minute scheduled flat-fee consultation (either phone or in-person). Even if you aren’t sure yet whether a consultation is right for your business, we encourage you to call the office, or submit an email inquiry via our Contact Us page.